John Taylor,
"The Order and Duties of the Priesthood, Etc.",
Journal of Discourses,
vol. 21,
pp. 358-372,
August 8, 1880.

The Order and Duties of the Priesthood, Etc.

Discourse by President John Taylor and Elder Erastus Snow, delivered at Paris, Bear Lake, Sunday Morning, August 8th, 1880.

Reported by Geo. F. Gibbs.

[It will be perceived that it is a long time since this discourse was
delivered, and at a time when the Twelve Apostles were acting as First
Presidency of the Church.]

I arise this morning to make a few remarks to you as I may be led and
dictated by the Spirit of God. I am sorry that we have not more time
to spend with you, but having a conference to attend at Manti,
Sanpete, on next Saturday and Sunday, which is quite a long way from
here, and in the meantime having business to attend to at home, we
shall be obliged, in order to make connections with the train at
Logan, to leave this place at the close of this meeting. I should, and
so would my brethren with me, have been very much pleased to have
visited you at your several settlements, but owing to these
circumstances it will be impracticable to do so.

There are a few items to which I wish to call your attention.
Yesterday we heard a very interesting discourse from Brother Snow in
which he compared the climate, etc., of your valley with that of
Southern Utah; and the remarks made will doubtless have the effect to
dispel a good deal of the restlessness which I understand many have
manifested because of the severity of your winters. And I would
further remark in relation to these matters, that this is the Zion of
our God; that we are gathered here not for the purpose of seeking to
do our own wills or to carry out our own designs, our own ideas or
theories; but to be subject to the law of God, to the order of God and
to the priesthood of God; and that our greatest safety and happiness,
under all circumstances, is in rendering strict obedience to His law,
and to the counsels that may be given from time to time through the
Holy priesthood. We are today a kingdom of priests holding to a very
great extent the holy priesthood; and it is essential that we submit
ourselves to the laws of that priesthood and be governed by them in
all of our actions. The Seventies, for instance—that is, those who
understand themselves—expect to be on hand at any time to go to all
the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. That would be no
more than their duty, which is in keeping with the command of God to
them. And as to whether they live in hot or cold countries is really
a matter of very little importance
to them, their calling
being to preach the Gospel to every creature the world over. Then the
High Priests have certain duties to perform, and if they are in an
organized condition, as the people of this Stake are, for instance,
their duties are to prepare themselves for certain events that may
transpire and to be learning to preside. For the duties of the
Melchizedek or High Priesthood have been in all ages of the world to
preside. So says the Doctrine and Covenants, extracts from which I may
read to you. But it is not because a man is a High Priest that he
should necessarily preside until he is called to fulfil some of the
duties and responsibilities devolving upon that Priesthood. And it is
the duty of a President of the High Priests to get the members of his
quorum under him together and to instruct them as to the duties of the
presidency, so that in the event of any being called, say, to occupy
the office of one of the Twelve Apostles who are High Priests, they
would be prepared to enter upon such duty; or that in case they should
be called to preside over a Stake, they would be prepared to enter
upon the duties of that office; or if they should be called to be
Counselors to the President of the Stake, they could act wisely and
efficiently in that position; or if they should be called upon to be
High Councilors, they would know how to act righteously and equitably
in all cases, that they might be called upon to adjudicate. And then
if they should be called to be Bishops or Bishop's Counselors, as the
case may be, they should be prepared to occupy these or any other
offices that they might be called to officiate in. High Priests have
those duties devolving upon them just as much as it devolves upon the
Seventies to go to the nations to preach, and there is no such thing
in the program as sitting and “singing ourselves away to everlasting
bliss.” Or, if we are called to fill an office we should not feel at
liberty to neglect its responsibilities and sit down and do nothing.
The idea is that we are to magnify our office and calling, no matter
what its duties may be.

Then, there are certain duties devolving upon the Bishops, and also
upon the Presidents of Stakes. And, then, the Twelve, wherever they
may be located, have also their particular duties, and especially is
this the case in the present organization of the Church; the Twelve
occupying the position of the First Presidency. I wish, for your
information, to offer some few ideas on some of these leading points
that you may understand something of the nature of the duties and
responsibilities that devolve upon us to attend to.

It is not correct, to suppose that the whole duty of carrying this
kingdom devolves upon the Twelve or the First Presidency, as the case
may be, or upon the Presidents of the Stakes, or upon the High
Priests, or upon the Seventies, or upon the Bishops, or upon any other
officer in the Church and Kingdom of God; that to the contrary, all of
us have our several duties to perform. And I may go farther in regard
to the duties of men, and also in regard to those of women, all have
their duties to perform before God. The organization of this Church
and Kingdom is for the express purpose of putting every man in his
place, and it is then expected that every man in that place will
magnify his office and calling. For through the ordinances of the
Gospel and the operations of the priesthood the blessings of
God are manifested, and without the ordinances we cannot enjoy the
fulness of these blessings among us, Latter-day Saints, nor could the
Saints in any age of the world among any people that ever existed.

We are of the household of faith, the children of God. We are gathered
together for the express purpose of being taught in the laws of life,
so that we may comprehend the position that we occupy, and the duties
and responsibilities which devolve upon us. And as I have before
stated, we are not here simply to carry out our own designs or to suit
our own feelings or wishes, or to aggrandize ourselves. Beyond this
earth as it now is, beyond time, in the eternities that are to come we
have a work to perform and we have to prepare in part for it while we
are upon this earth; and God has called us together for this purpose.
The whole world is wallowing in iniquity, corruption, wickedness and
evil; and it is for us, in the first place, to rid ourselves of
everything of that kind, and to feel that we are the children of God,
that He is our Father, and that we are under His law, and that we have
to be subject to His commands; and that He has ordained and organized
and set apart a Priesthood for this purpose. And what is that
Priesthood? It is the rule and government of God; whether on the earth
or in the heavens; and is the means by which God has operated in all
the ages of the world. There is an order in this, every man in his
place, the First Presidency, or Twelve, as the case may be, in their
place, the Presidents of Stakes in their places, the High Council in
their places, the High Priesthood in their place, the Seventies in
their place, the Elders in their place, the Presiding Bishop, with his
Counselors, in his place, and the other Bishops in their place, and
the Priests, Teachers and Deacons in their place, and every one
feeling that they are the servants of the living God, and that they
are clothed upon with the Holy Priesthood, and that they have a duty
to perform in His kingdom—that they stand ready, at all times, to
carry out anything that God may dictate through His regularly
constituted authority in regard to themselves, their families, their
neighborhoods wherein they live, or in the Church or the world, that
their duty is to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to gather
the people, to build temples, and to accomplish anything and
everything that God requires, and that when we have built temples it
is our duty to administer in them, that we may be the children of God,
saviors upon Mount Zion, and be the blessed of the Lord of Hosts and
our offspring with us. This is the position we occupy here upon the
earth.

Now, I will read to you from the Doctrine and Covenants. In speaking
of Priesthood we are told that, “There remain hereafter, in the due
time of the Lord, other bishops to be set apart unto the church, to
minister even according to the first; Wherefore they shall be high
priests who are worthy, and they shall be appointed by the First
Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood, except they be literal
descendants of Aaron. And if they be the literal descendants of Aaron they
have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the firstborn among
the sons of Aaron; For the firstborn holds the right of the
presidency over this priesthood, and the keys and the authority of the
same.

“No man has a legal right to this
office, to hold the keys of
this priesthood, except he be a literal descendant and the firstborn of Aaron.

“But, as a high priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood has authority to
officiate in all the lesser offices he may officiate in the office of
bishop when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, provided he
is called and set apart and ordained unto this power, under the hands of
the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

“And a literal descendant of Aaron, also, must be designated by this
Presidency, and found worthy, and anointed, and ordained under the
hands of this Presidency, otherwise they are not legally authorized to
officiate in their priesthood.”

“But, by virtue of the decree concerning their right to the priesthood
descending from father to son, they may claim their anointing if at
any time they can prove their lineage, or do ascertain it by revelation
from the Lord under the hands of the above named Presidency.”

This is speaking more particularly in regard to the Bishops. I have
not time, today, to enter into many details pertaining to this; but
will simply draw your attention to one point, which is this: If we had
among us a literal descendant of Aaron, who was the firstborn, he
would have a right to the keys, or presiding authority of the
Bishopric. But then he would have to be set apart and directed by the
First Presidency, no matter what his or their claims might be, or how
clear their proofs. The same would have to be acknowledged by the
First Presidency. These claims of descent from Aaron would have to be
acknowledged by the First Presidency, and, further, the claimant would
have to be set apart to his Bishopric by them, the same as in the case
of a High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood called to fill the same
office. Thus, in either case, as a literal descendant of Aaron, or as
a High Priest, the right to officiate is held first by authority of
the Priesthood, and by appointment and ordination as above stated.

And, then, here is another thing I desire briefly to mention. A Bishop
of this kind, holding the keys of this Priesthood, must be set apart
by the First Presidency, and, should occasion arise, must also be
tried by the First Presidency. This, however, does not apply to all
Bishops, for there are a variety of Bishops, as for instance Bishop
Partridge, who presided over the Land of Zion, and whose duty was to
purchase land and divide it among the people, as their inheritances,
and to take charge of the temporal affairs of the Church, not only in
Zion but throughout all the western country, and also to sit as a
common judge in Israel, and to preside in the capacity of Bishop, not
to act as President over a district of country that was then called
Zion, but as a general Bishop. George Miller was afterward appointed
to the same Bishopric. Newel K. Whitney was appointed also as a
general Bishop, and presided over Kirtland and all the churches in the
eastern country. The calling of these men, you will perceive, was very
different from that of a Bishop over one of the Wards of a Stake, for
he can only preside over his own Ward; outside of that he has no
jurisdiction. While the calling of the former was general, that of the
latter is local. And there were Bishops' agents appointed formerly.
There was Sidney Gilbert; he was a Bishop's agent appointed to assist
Bishop Partridge in his duties; and Bishop Whitney also had his
assistants or
agents to assist him in his administrations, the
one presiding as Bishop over the affairs of the Church in the west,
the other presiding over the affairs of the Church in the east. But
neither of them was presiding Bishop of the Church at that time. But
you will find that afterwards George Miller was appointed to the same
Bishopric that Edward Partridge held; and that Vinson Knight was
appointed to the Presidency over the Bishopric, with Samuel H. Smith
and Shadrach Roundy as his counselors.

I speak of these things to throw out some general ideas; and you will
have to examine the Doctrine and Covenants for yourselves, and this
will give to you the key how to arrive at the truth in relation to
these principles.

Now, these general Bishops had to be appointed by the First
Presidency; they had to be tried by the First Presidency as well as
the Presiding Bishop, because they were general Bishops, and were
appointed by the First Presidency. But Stake Bishops stand in another
capacity. They have a presidency over them, and although it is proper
for them (the Stake Presidency) to consult with the First Presidency
of the Church, yet they preside over them, as well as over the affairs
of their Stake. There is one thing associated with this matter that I
will mention here, which is this. While you have a High Council in
your Stake, and a presidency of your Stake, you also have Brother
Charles C. Rich residing here, who is one of the First Council of the
Church. And if I were a President of this Stake I should always confer
with him about any matters of importance pertaining to the interests
of the Church in the Stake over which I presided. Because the Twelve
now hold the right of Presidency; and as he is one of the Twelve, it
would be proper, and, indeed, I should consider it quite a privilege,
if I was a president here, to apply to him for council in all matters
pertaining to the interests of the Stake.

Now, I speak of this for your information, and by so doing you will
avoid a great deal of trouble that you might otherwise fall into.
Because Brother Rich is not only an Apostle, but you, in connection
with the other Stakes, have voted for him as one of the First
Presidency, and therefore he would be the proper person to counsel in
any matters of that kind. And, then, if there should be anything not
exactly clear to him, it would be his privilege to apply to his quorum
to obtain their mind in regard to it; and when this course is adopted
everything moves on harmoniously. Now, for instance, here is Brother
Erastus Snow, he and Brother Brigham Young, under the counsel and
direction of the First Presidency, will shortly take a mission into
the southern portions of the Church, in Colorado and Arizona, and,
perhaps, in New Mexico, to look after the interests of the community
there. Over the settlements throughout those regions of country there
are Presidents, and these Presidents preside over Stakes where Stakes
are organized. Brother Snorer informs me there are two Stakes. He and
Brother Brigham go clothed upon with the authority of the First
Presidency to regulate, to set in order, and counsel in all matters
pertaining to the interests of that people. Wherever they may go, no
matter who presides, we should expect them to regard their counsel,
and to be governed by them in all of their acts. Because the Twelve
cannot go everywhere as a body, and the interests of the
Church are being extended, and we are growing larger all the time; and
Zion will continue to grow until the kingdoms of this world will
become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ, and that as a matter of
course means that if this is the kingdom of God and the Priesthood is
the representation of that kingdom, the proper authorities of the holy
Priesthood, wherever they go to represent the Priesthood, must be
respected in their position; and as these brethren represent the First
Presidency where they are going, they must be respected and their
counsels adhered to as such.

Now if that would be proper for Brother Snow and Brother Brigham, it
would also be proper for Brother Rich, for they all hold the same
authority; and we expect them to represent to us things as they are,
that we may be enabled to counsel and direct—and they always do
counsel with us, and are glad to get our counsel. On the other hand,
for instance, I am President of the Twelve Apostles, and by that means
President of the Church at present. Well, say that Brother Rich or any
member of the Quorum of the Twelve comes along, having something to
offer or lay before the Council, I would say, such a man is an Apostle
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I have a right to listen to his counsel
or to whatever he has got to say, and at the same time pay due
deference to it. For I am glad to have the counsel of my brethren, and
they are always pleased to receive mine. That is the kind of feeling
existing among us, and this same feeling should exist everywhere
throughout the whole Church.
It is not for a member of the High Council to say, “I am one of the
prominent men, and I am going to show you how things are done here;
and furthermore, I have my own ideas about things, and am going to try
to carry them out.” It will not do for a president to say that; but it
would be more in accordance with our calling for us to say, “O God,
thou art our Father, and we are thy children. We are engaged in thy
service; wilt thou, O Lord, show unto us thy will, that we may do it?”
Not our own will; we do not want to do our will nor carry out our
purposes, nor do anything for our personal aggrandizement, nor for
that of our friends or anybody else; but to do that which is right and
just and equitable before God and the holy angels and all honorable
men. And then when we have done that, we do not ask any odds of the
turbulent or dissatisfied, who are crying, good Lord and good devil,
not knowing whose hands they may fall into. We do not care about their
ideas; but we do care about having the smiles and approbation of our
Heavenly Father and of all good men, so that when we get through and
are called upon for an account of our stewardship, we may say, O God,
we have done, so far as thou hast given us ability, the work thou hast
placed in our hands. And then every member of the priesthood ought to
feel just the same; not like some of our unruly horses when they get
the bits in their mouths and run off, because they make a good deal of
trouble for themselves and other people too. We should ever seek to
operate together and be one according to the laws of the Holy
Priesthood.

I now want to show something about this Priesthood, and will again
read: “As a high priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood has authority to
officiate in all the lesser offices he may officiate in the office of
bishop where no literal descendant of Aaron
can be found,
provided he is called and set apart and ordained unto this power, under
the hands of the First Presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood.” There is
where it comes in, and this applies primarily to the presiding Bishop;
but I would say that it applies in a more extended view to High
Priests who are ordained and set apart as Bishops, in the several
Stakes of Zion, and who thus come under the supervision of those
presidents of Stakes, and stand in the same relationship to them that
the First Bishops did to the First Presidency of the Church. The First
Presidency at that time presided over the Stake in Kirtland, over the
High Council, over the Bishops and over all the organizations of the
Stake, and were really the presidents of that Stake. But it will be
seen that while they were presidents of the Stake and occupied the
same position that presidents now do over the Stakes, they were at the
same time presidents of the Church in all the world, whilst the
authority of our present presidents of Stakes is confined to the
limits of their several Stakes. And thus there is perfect order in all
these things in relation to these matters.

I again quote: “There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the
Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.” Now I
will make a statement or two about this. What is the Levitical
Priesthood? There were in the days of Moses a tribe of the children of
Israel set apart to officiate in some of the lesser duties of the
Aaronic Priesthood, and their office was called the Levitical
Priesthood. You High Priests, you Seventies and Bishops can examine
these things from your Bible, and what the Bible does not tell you the
Book of Covenants will, and you ought to be ac-quainted with this
matter, it is your duty to investigate these things, to search in the
records, to examine the revelations of God and make yourselves
acquainted with principle, and laws, and governments, and all things
calculated to promote the welfare of humanity.

“The office of an elder comes under the priesthood of Melchizedek. The
Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency, and has power
and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the
world, to administer in spiritual things.”

“Well,” say you, “I thought that; that has been my idea, the Bishops
should have all the temporal things to attend to.” We will read a
little further. It is by taking up little old texts that mistakes are
often made and incorrect ideas conveyed. We must take the whole thing
to ascertain what is intended, and rightly divine the word of truth.

“The Presidency of the High Priesthood, after the order of
Melchizedek, have a right to officiate in all the offices in the
Church.”

Now, will you show me an office, or calling, or duty, or
responsibility, temporal or spiritual, that does not come under this
statement? From this I think this Presidency have something to do with
the Bishops and temporal things as well as with the Melchizedek
Priesthood and spiritual things, and with all things pertaining to the
interests and welfare of Zion. That is the way I understand these
matters. I could enter very elaborately into these questions, but I do
not purpose to do so, there not being time. But this is the position
they occupy.

“High priests after the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood have a
right to officiate in their own stand-ing, under the direction
of the presidency, in administering spiritual things, and also in the
office of an elder, priest (of the Levitical order), teacher, deacon
and member,” etc.

This shows really, in as few words as the matter could be conveyed to
your understanding, the way that God has appointed for the governing
of those affairs in His Church and Kingdom, without entering
elaborately into detail.

When we have a Stake organization, as you have here, the Presidency of
the Stake presides over all Bishops, High Councils, and all
authorities of the Stake. The several Bishops preside over their
respective wards and manage their affairs, under the direction of the
Stake Presidency, who in their office and calling are responsible to
the First Presidency of the Church. The Bishops are also under the
direction of presiding Bishop Hunter in all affairs connected with the
temporal interests of the Church. And Bishop Hunter is under the
direction of the First Presidency, the Aaronic Priesthood being an
appendage to the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is however, the special
duty of the Aaronic Priesthood to attend to temporal matters; but then
the First Presidency presides over all Bishops, all Presidents, all
authorities, and lastly God presides over all.

Now we are sometimes fond, that is, some of us are, of talking about
our authority. It is a thing I care very little about. I tell you what
I want to do if I can. I want to know the will of God so that I may do
it; and I do not want to dictate or domineer or exercise arbitrary
control. Then again, all men ought to be under proper control to the
Presidency and Priesthood presiding over them. If I were a Bishop I
should want to know what the President of my Stake desired, and I
should confer with him; and if there was anything in which Bishop
Hunter was interested, I should want to know his mind.

I will read a little further with regard to this subject of
priesthood:

“How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the
heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the
Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to
hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the
heads of the Latter-day Saints. Behold, there are many called, but few
are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set
so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of
men.”

Now, I wish you to take particular notice of this, you Elders, you
High Priests, you Seventies, and you Priests, Teachers and Deacons,
and all men holding the Priesthood; “That they do not learn this one
lesson—That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected
with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be
controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness;” and
not upon any other principle. And when anybody steps aside from that
and acts upon a principle of unrighteousness, the result will be as is
stated in the context, namely: “That they may be conferred upon us, it
is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our
pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or
compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the
Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the
priesthood or the authority of that man.” That is the result of
wrongdoing; that is the result of perverting the authority that God
has conferred upon us to our personal ends and to gratify our own
ambition. “Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick
against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against
God.” Can they thwart the purposes of God? No. They are as harmless as
babies. He that sits in the heavens laughs at them, and all men
holding the Priesthood of the Son of God, care nothing about their
fulminations and the efforts they make to hinder the progress of truth
in the earth, for all they can do, we know, will be overruled for our
good. They are going the downward road that leads to death, and by and
by they will have their reward. We would like to see it otherwise, but
we cannot, that is one of the things they have to see to themselves;
it belongs to us to be true to God and to our Priesthood, and all will
be well with us.

Again, we quote, “We have learned by sad experience that it is the
nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little
authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise
unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen. No
power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the
priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and
meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which
shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without
guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost;
and then showing forth after-wards an increase of love toward him whom
thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may
know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. Let
thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the
household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;
then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the
doctrine of the piesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from
heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy
scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy
dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory
means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”

What a beautiful state of things God presents to us! Shall we try to
live it? or shall we take our own way and pursue our own course?
These things are beautiful when we reflect upon them. We all know they
are true, and they are principles which recommend themselves to our
hearts. Let us try then and live them.

There are other orders of the Priesthood; we have Elders, and they
have their duties to perform, which I do not propose to talk about
now. And we have our Priests, Teachers and Deacons, all of whom hold
important positions, and all should seek to magnify their calling. And
what should they do? I will tell you a circumstance that took place
with me upwards of forty years ago. I was living in Canada at the
time, and was a traveling Elder. I presided over a number of the
churches in that district of country. A difficulty existed in a branch
of the church, and steps were taken to have the matter brought before
me for settlement. I thought very
seriously about it, and
thought it a very insignificant affair. Because we ought to soar above
such things, and walk on a higher plane, for we are the children of
God and should be willing to suffer wrong rather than do wrong; to
yield a good deal to our brethren for the sake of peace and quietness,
and to secure and promote good feelings among the Saints. At that time
I did not have the experience I now have, and yet I do not know that I
could do anything better than I did then. Before going to the trial I
bowed before the Lord, and sought wisdom from him to conduct the
affair aright, for I had the welfare of the people at heart. When we
had assembled, I opened the meeting with prayer, and then called upon a
number of those present to pray; they did so, and the Spirit of God
rested upon us. I could perceive that a good feeling existed in the
hearts of those who had come to present their grievances, and I told
them to bring forward their case. But they said they had not anything
to bring forward. The feelings and spirit they had been in possession
of had left them, the Spirit of God had obliterated these feelings out
of their hearts, and they knew it was right for them to forgive one
another.

You Priests, Teachers and Deacons, seek unto the Lord, and he will
bless you. And you, my brethren, when the Teachers visit you, do not
think that you are High Priests and that they are only Teachers hardly
worthy of your attention. They are your Teachers, and you should
reverence them. And if you expect to be honored in your calling, you
must honor them in theirs. When the Teachers come to visit me I am
pleased to see them; and I call together the members of my family that
may be in the house at the time, to hear what they have to say to us.
And I tell them to talk freely and plainly to us, to myself, my wives
and children; in other words, to do their duty as Teachers, and then I
will help them to carry out their instructions. This is how I feel
towards our Teachers. The eye cannot say to the ear, we have no need
of thee; neither the head to the feet, I have no need of thee, for if
one of the members suffer all the other members suffer with it; and if
one member rejoice, all the other members partake of the same feeling.
Consequently I feel in duty bound to attend to these things.

We have here our Relief Societies, and they have done a good work. And
people are desirous to know something of these organizations. I was in
Nauvoo at the time the Relief Society was organized by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and I was present on the occasion. At a late meeting of
the Society held in Salt Lake City I was present, and I read from a
record called the Book of the Law of the Lord, the minutes of that
meeting. At that meeting the Prophet called Sister Emma to be an elect
lady. That means that she was called to a certain work; and that was
in fulfillment of a certain revelation concerning her. She was elected
to preside over the Relief Society, and she was ordained to expound
the Scriptures. In compliance with Brother Joseph's request I set her
apart, and also ordained Sister Whitney, wife of Bishop Newel K.
Whitney, and Sister Cleveland, wife of Judge Cleveland, to be her
counselors. Some of the sisters have thought that these sisters
mentioned were, in this ordination, ordained to the priesthood. And
for the information of all interested in this subject I will say, it
is not the calling of these sisters to
hold the Priesthood,
only in connection with their husbands, they being one with their
husbands. Sister Emma was elected to expound the Scriptures, and to
preside over the Relief Society; then Sisters Whitney and Cleveland
were ordained to the same office, and I think Sister Eliza R. Snow to
be secretary. A short time ago I attended a meeting in Salt Lake City,
where Sister Snow and Sister Whitney were set apart. I happened to be
the only member of the Twelve in town at the time, the other members
of the Quorum being unavoidably absent. I went to this meeting and set
apart Sister Whitney and Sister Snow who were two of those I set apart
some forty years ago, in Nauvoo. And after I had done so, they
reminded me of the coincidence. At this meeting, however, Sister Snow
was set apart to preside over the Relief Societies in the land of
Zion, and Sister Whitney her counselor, with Sister Zina D. Young, her
other counselor. I speak of this for the information of the Sisters,
although I presume they may have read of it in their paper, the
Exponent.

With regard to those Societies, I will say, they have done a good work
and are a great assistance to our Bishops, as well as being peculiarly
adapted to console, bless, and encourage those of their sisters who
need their care, and also to visit the sick, as well as to counsel and
instruct the younger women in the things pertaining to their calling
as children and Saints of the Most High. I am happy to say that we
have a great many honorable and noble women engaged in these labors of
love, and the Lord blesses them in their labors, and I bless them in
the name of the Lord. And I say to our sisters, continue to be
diligent and faithful in seeking the well-being and happiness of your
sex, instruct and train your own daughters in the fear of God, and
teach your sisters to do likewise, that we may be the blessed of the
Lord and our offspring with us.

Our young people's Improvement Associations are very creditable
institutions, and the fruits of the labors of those engaged in this
work are already manifesting themselves. I feel in my heart to say,
God bless the young men and young women of Israel; let it be the
desire of your hearts to imitate the virtues of your parents and of
all good men and women, keeping your bodies and spirits pure before
God and man.

Then, we have our Sunday Schools; and many of our brethren and sisters
in this direction are doing a good work. I would advise the
superintendents of Sunday Schools to endeavor to collect the best
talent they can to teach and instruct our children. What greater or
more honorable work can we be engaged in than in teaching the children
the principles of salvation? You that are diligent and that give your
hearts to these things God will bless, and the day will come when the
youth of Israel will rise up and call you blessed.

Then with regard to our common schools, let us try to instruct our
youth as best we can, and get the best of teachers, men and women of
intelligence and education who are not only moral, but good Latter-day
Saints; men and women who are not only capable of imparting to our
children the rudiments of education, but who are also capable of
teaching them the laws of God as he has revealed them for our
guidance. And when you get good teachers you should appreciate them,
and you should cooperate with them
in their endeavors to
teach our youth; and then see that they are properly remunerated for
their services.

Some people talk about the great ignorance of the “Mormons.” In regard
to education we are the peers of the United States. We, it is true, do
not possess such notable academies and universities as may be found in
the great centers of our nation, but official figures show our
educational status to be above that of the average of the United
States. And I may add, that our grade of literacy is higher than that
of the nation. When we take into consideration the fact that we have
not received one penny from any outside source, while the leading
institutions of learning have realized millions, yes scores of
millions of dollars to enable them to educate their youth. This is
something that we have a right to be proud of. Then let us continue to
encourage education; and let our trustees be alive to supply the
schoolhouses with all the necessary charts and books; let them not
feel niggardly in regard to these things. And above all, let
everything we do conspire to advance the interests of the Church and
Kingdom of God upon the earth.

I feel like saying, God bless you, my brethren and sisters. And God
bless Brother Budge, who is doing a good work in England, and who, by
the way, will be back among you very shortly. And God bless Brother
Hart and Brother Osmond, and the High Council, and the Bishops and
their counselors, and may God bless the Elders and the Seventies, and
the High Priests, together with the Relief Societies and Mutual
Improvement Associations; and may God bless all men who love Israel
and who are desirous to keep the commandments of God; and the Lord
help us to be true to our religion, and true to our God, and true to
our integrity, that we may be saved ultimately in the Celestial
Kingdom of God. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Elder Erastus Snow
Then made the following Remarks:
I feel that we have had a feast of fat things this morning; that the
remarks made by President Taylor have been replete with genuine
truths, and full of instruction and counsel, and that blessing will
abide with all those who permit these instructions to find place in
their hearts and understandings.

While President Taylor was treating upon the order of the Priesthood,
the history of which has been given in the Bible through Moses, and
also in certain revelations given unto this Church through the
Prophet Joseph Smith, he awakened a train of reflection that carried
the mind back from the time of Moses to that of Abraham, Noah, Enoch
and Adam. Adam was the first man appointed of God as the ruler of the
earth; to him it was said, thou shalt have dominion over the earth and
over the things therein. And as he began to multiply and replenish the
earth, and as his children and their families increased in the land,
there was a right of dominion given; it was called the birthright,
and it belongs to the firstborn of the sons. And this seems to have
been an order existing in the heavens even before Adam. For it is
written of Jesus, the Lamb of God; that he was the firstborn of many
brethren. Moreover, his rights of dominion as the firstborn continued
with him because he loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore
was he anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. But
notwithstanding his birthright, had he not loved righteousness
and hated iniquity, and exercised his rights and his dominion in
connection with the powers of heaven and the principles of
righteousness, he would not have been chosen nor have received this
anointing with the oil of gladness above his fellows. But because he
did exercise it rightly and pleased his Father, he was chosen, as was
his right to have been, or, I will say, his privilege rather, because
he honored his birthright, and, therefore, he was anointed above his
fellows, and became the Chief Apostle, the High Priest of our
profession, the Son, the mediator between us and the Father.

The same principle fell upon Adam's children; and hence Cain, being
the firstborn of his father's family, according to the Bible account,
might have been the head of this Priesthood, under his father, holding
the right by birth; but instead of exercising his birthright on the
principles of righteousness, and in accord with the powers of heaven,
he was befogged and understood not his true position; and his
offering was not accepted. But Abel, his younger brother, who was meek
and lowly of heart, and who sought the inspiration of the Spirit, was
led to bring as his offering the firstlings of his flock, which were a
true representation of the Lamb of God; and besides, the offering was
made in the true spirit of his ministry and priesthood, therefore it
pleased the Father, and he accepted it. Then when Cain found that his
offering was not accepted, and his brother, Abel's was accepted, Satan
tempted him, and entered into him and led him into the way of all
apostates—he became possessed with the spirit of murder. I mention it
as the first apostasy of which we have record after the fall of man,
through it Cain lost his privilege as firstborn, and the blessing
fell on one more worthy, and the rights of the priesthood passed to
the next son of Adam, which according to Bible record was Seth, who
magnified the Priesthood, honored his birthright, and held the
blessing of the Priesthood, which was sealed upon him by his father;
and from him it descended upon the righteous of his posterity.

There are many instances, from that time forward, of which the
scriptures speak of this birthright continuing among the descendants
of Seth, until it came to Noah and his sons, of which sons Shem
received the blessings pertaining to the priesthood. Abraham came
through Shem, and the Savior came through this lineage; and through
this blessing of Noah upon Shem, the Priesthood continued through his
seed; while the offspring of Ham inherited a curse, and it was
because, as a revelation teaches, some of the blood of Cain became
mingled with that of Ham's family, and hence they inherited that
curse.

Now we will pass by the places in the Bible which speak of this
birthright until we come to Isaac, the son of Abraham, and to Jacob,
the son of Isaac, who bought the birthright of his brother Esau. From
the story that is told of Rebekah helping her son Jacob to get the
first blessing from his father Isaac, on purpose to secure the
birthright from his brother Esau, really would be inclined to think
that deceit, dishonesty and unrighteous means were employed to secure
it, and they perhaps wonder why it should be so. This was really not
the case; it is only made to appear so in the eyes of those who do
not understand the dealings of God with man, and the
workings of the Holy Spirit to bring about His purposes. There was neither
unrighteousness in Rebekah nor in Jacob in this matter; but on the
contrary, there was the wisdom of the Almighty, showing forth his
providences in guiding them in such a manner as to bring about his
purposes, in influencing Esau to transfer his birthright to Jacob,
that He might ratify and confirm it upon the head of Jacob; knowing as
He did that Jacob and his seed were, and would be, more deserving of
the birthright, and would magnify it in its true spirit. While Esau
did not sense nor appreciate his condition and birthright; he did not
respect it as he should have done, neither did be hearken to the
counsels of his father and mother. On the contrary, he went his own
way with a stubborn will, and followed his own passions and
inclinations and took to wife one of the daughters of the Canaanites
whom the Lord had not blessed; and he therefore rendered himself
unacceptable to God and to his father and mother. He gave himself to
wild pursuits—to hunting, and to following the ways of the Canaanites,
and displeased the Lord and his parents, and was not worthy of this
right of seniority. The Lord therefore saw fit to take it from him,
and the mother was moved upon to help the younger son to bring about
the purpose of the Lord, in securing to himself the blessing through
the legitimate channel of the Priesthood. And as you know, his father
was induced to bless him and confirm this blessing upon him.

Now, whilst all these instances in Scripture recognize the right
called the birthright, that has descended from the beginning, the same
principle is exhibited in all those instances set forth in the
revelation read by President Taylor—that none can hold these rights of
the Priest-hood except in connection with the powers of heaven, and
cannot be exercised only on the principles of righteousness; and all
who fail to exercise these rights on the principles of righteousness
and in connection with the powers of heaven subject to its counsels
and directions and laws, forfeit their birthright, and the right
passes to another.

We have another instance of this kind in Reuben, the eldest of the
twelve sons of Jacob. We find that the birthright passed from him. He
committed a transgression which offended the Lord and offended his
father, and it was of such a character that it could not be passed
over with impunity; and the birthright was taken from him and given to
the sons of Joseph. We find it explained in Chronicles, that because
Reuben defiled his father's bed, the birthright was taken from him and
given to the sons of Joseph; and the Priesthood was reckoned after
that lineage, though Judah prevailed above his brethren to this
extent, that through him came the Chief Ruler of Israel, while unto
Ephraim, the son of Joseph, was given the keys of the Priesthood—or
those rights that apply to the birthright. Of the two sons of
Joseph—Ephraim and Manassah, the Lord said, Manassah shall be great,
but Ephraim shall be greater than he; and he shall become a multitude
in the earth. And when the patriarch was blessing Joseph's two sons,
though he was blind, he was careful to cross his hands in blessing the
boys. Joseph observing what his father was doing, informed him that he
was putting his right hand on the head of the younger boy, but the old
man replied, I know it, my son. The Spirit of the Lord prompted him to
do as he did—to confer the greater blessing upon Ephraim, the younger
brother. It
was for this reason that God spake through the
mouth of Jeremiah concerning the gathering of Israel: “I am a father
to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” That is according to his
purposes. He acknowledged and re-confirmed this birthright upon
Ephraim the younger of the two sons of Joseph, when he referred to the
dispensation of the fullness of times and the ushering in of its great
work—when the Lord should set his hand to gather His people, and be a
father to Israel, even to Ephraim His firstborn.

Now, the Levitical Priesthood referred to was not a new Priesthood. We
do not understand it to be an order of the Priesthood instituted at
the time Israel was in the wilderness of Sinai, but that it had been
from the beginning a part of the Holy Priesthood, an appendage, or a
subdivision, or branch of the same Priesthood. The rights of this
descended from father to son, among the firstborn, unless the
firstborn failed to appreciate it and exercise it in righteousness.
In that event it passed to one of the others.

We see the same principle set forth when the Lord commanded Moses to
take the tribe of Levi and set them apart to be Priests. He told them
the reason. Now, said He, I have claimed the firstborn of all the
families of Israel as my own. When I sent forth my angel to smite the
firstborn of the sons of Egypt, I caused mine angel to pass by the
families of Israel, that he smite not their firstborn. In remembrance
of this He instituted the ordinance called the Passover, to preserve
in the minds of the Israelites, the occasion when the Lord passed over
their firstborn, while the firstborn of the sons of Egypt He caused
to be slain. For this rea-son, He said, I have consecrated the
firstborn as mine own; and now, said He to Moses, I will take from
the tribes of Israel the house of Levi, and you shall consecrate them
to officiate, etc. This principle has continued from the beginning. We
see it exemplified in the calling of the Lamb of God, who was the
firstborn among many brethren, and was in all things obedient to his
Father; who loved righteousness and hated iniquity, and was therefore
chosen and anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. So in
after years, those who in like manner exercised their birthright in
connection with the powers of heaven, and on the principles of virtue,
integrity and righteousness had these rights confirmed upon him. But
in no case, when acting unrighteously, were they chosen to receive the
confirmation of the ordinances of the Priesthood. In the days of Eli,
who permitted his sons, who were heirs of the Priesthood, to set bad
examples and work iniquities in Israel, God held the father
responsible for their course, and He destroyed both Eli and his sons,
and raised up another in his place.

The article read in your hearing from the Doctrine and Covenants,
shows most clearly that the rights and blessings and keys of this
Priesthood can only be held and exercised in connection with the
powers of heaven and on the principles of righteousness. It is most
beautiful to contemplate. It is like apples of gold in pictures of
silver.

And that God may enable us to preserve these things in our hearts, and
that we may attain to all that He has prepared for us, is my earnest
prayer, in the name of Jesus, Amen.